Heel- or toe-holding appliance for safety ski bindings

ABSTRACT

A soleholder carrier is pivoted to a mounting, e.g., the baseplate, on an axis which is vertical or transverse to the ski. The soleholder carrier is also connected to the mounting by a detent device, which is automatically releasable in response to an overload. The concave detent socket member is adjustably mounted on that part of the appliance which carries said socket member and in such a manner that its angle or area of contact with the convex detent element is variable to vary the force required for a release.

1 United States Patent 1111 3,561,779

[72] Inventor Otto l-luss 3,199,885 8/1965 Smolka et a1. ..280/11.35(HA)No. 26, Wallgau, Germany 3,361,434 1/1968 Scheib 280/1 l.35(TT) 1 1 PP7581054 FOREIGN PATENTS 5233 gig- 3 1,120,333 12/1961 Germany 280/1 1.35Priority Sept. [967 354,704 7/1961 Switzerland ..280/1 l.35(HA) [33]Germany Primary Examiner- Benjamin l-lersh [31] P 15 78 856,4 AssistantExaminer-Milton L. Smith [54] HEEL- OR TOE-HOLDING APPLIANCE FOR SAFETYSKI BINDINGS 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.C1 280/11.35 [51 Int. Cl A63c 9/08 [50] Field of Search 280/11.35

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,095,210 6/1963 Hallam280/11.35(CB) Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson ABSTRACT: A soleholdercarrier is pivoted to a mounting, e.g., the baseplate, on an axis whichis vertical or transverse to the ski. The soleholder carrier is alsoconnected to the mounting by a detent device, which is automaticallyreleasable in response to an overload. The concave detent socket memberis adjustably mounted on that part of the appliance which carries saidsocket member and in such a manner that its angle or area of contactwith the convex detent element is variable to vary the force requiredfor a release.

PATENIEU FEB 9 I971 SHEET 3 BF 3 Fig. 5

I-IEEL- OR TOE-HOLDING APPLIANCE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS The presentinvention relates to toeor heel-holding appliances for safety skibindings, which appliances have a soleholder carrier, which is pivotallyconnected to a mounting, e.g., the baseplate, on at least one axis whichis vertical or transverse to the ski, and which soleholder carrier isalso connected to the mounting by a detent device, which isautomatically releasable in response to an overload.

In the known two toeor heel-holding appliances of this kind, the forcerequired for a release is adjustable by a change of the initial stressof the spring which acts on the detent element of the detent device. Inthese appliances, means must be provided for an adjustable mounting ofthe abutment for the spring, and the heel-holding appliances requireadditionally a device which permits of an arbitrary opening of theappliance. Besides, the appliances have a relatively large overalllength, owing to the relatively long springs which are required, and thespring forces are so large that the initial stress of the springs can bechanged only by means of a tool.

It is an object of the present invention so to design a toeorheel-holding appliance of the kind described hereinbefore that the sameis at least as reliable as the known appliances as regards the safetyfunction but is free of the disadvantages of said known appliances.

Based on a toeor heel-holding appliance for safety ski bindings, whichappliances comprises a soleholder carrier, which is pivoted to a holder,e.g., the baseplate, on an axis which is vertical or transverse to theski, and which soleholder carrier is also connected to the mounting by adetent device, which is automatically releasable in response to anoverload, this object is accomplished according to the invention in thatthe concave detent socket member is adjustably mounted on that part ofthe appliance which carries said socket member and in such a manner thatthe extent of its angle or area in contact with the convex detentelement is variable to vary the force required for a release. With thisdesign, a larger angle or area of contact between the detent socketmember and the convex detent element will require the soleholder carrierto move a larger distance to the point of release so that the elasticrange which precedes the release will be desirably increased with aharder setting.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the convex detent element ofthe detent device may consist of a roller and the detent socket membermay be pivoted to that part of the apparatus which carries said socketmember on an axis which in the locked position coincides with the axisof the roller.

In a toe-holding appliance which is releasable toward two directions, itis a feature of the invention that the detent socket member is bipartiteand the contact angle or area is variable at both ends in the samesense. In this connection it has proved desirable that the changes ofthe contact angle or area at both ends are independent of each other.

In a further development of the invention, a heel-holding appliance maybe provided with a grip, which is operable against a restoring force andserves to disengage the convex detent element from the detent socketmember. In this case, the detent socket member may carry a lever arm,which is urged by a retaining spring against an adjustable stop, or thedetent socket member may be provided with a crankpin, which engages arecess in a slide, which is urged by a retaining spring against anadjustable stop.

A plurality of embodiments of the invention will now be described indetail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. I is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a toeholdingappliance according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. I but is partly cut open for a betterrepresentation of essential parts.

FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a heel-holdingappliance according to the invention in its locked position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 and shows theheel-holding appliance in its unlocked position.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing the heel-holding appliance of FIGS. 3and 4, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the means for adjusting theforce required for a release and for an arbitrary opening ofaheel-holding appliance according to FIGS. 3 to 5.

The heel-holding appliance shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a socalleddouble-pivot toe iron. It comprises a baseplate I, which is adapted tobe connected to the ski by screws and in which a vertical pivot pin 2 isfixed by riveting. A pivoted member 3 is freely rotatably mounted on thepivot pin and at its right-hand end in the drawing carries a pivot pin4, on which a soleholder carrier 5 is rotatably mounted. A soleholder 6is mounted on the carrier for adjustment in height to different solethicknesses by means of a screw 7, which extends through a slot 8 in anupwardly angled arm of the carrier. At that end which is remote from thesoleholder 6, the carrier 5 carries the detent element 9 of a detentdevice. The socket member I0 of said detent device is mounted on thepivoted member 3 by means of a screw II. The detent element consists ofa roller and under the action of a helical compression spring 12 and aconnector 13 is normally held in its outer limiting position shown onthe drawing. The free endsof a vertical part of the connector arereceived by two diametrically opposite guide grooves I4, which openoutwardly into a tapped hole, into which a plug 15 is screwed, whichforms the abutment for the helical compression spring 12.

According to the present invention, the detent socket member 10 isbipartite and adjustably held to the pivoted member 3. The socket member10 consists in the present case of the two circular ring sectors 16, 17(see FIG. 2), which are provided each with a fixing lug 18 or l9 in theshape of a cockscomb. These lugs are fixed by a screw 11 to the pivotedmember 3. To adjust the detent socket member so as to vary its contactangle, each lug is formed with a slot 20, which receives the screw 11and has a center of curvature that coincides with the axis of the roller9 when the latter is in its outer limiting position. In the showing inFIG. 2, the detent socket member is shown adjusted to its largestpossible contact angle. When the screw 11 is loosened, the retaininglugs 18, I9 can be caused to overlap until the two circular ring sectorsabut.

When the soleholder carrier 5 is acted upon by a force which tends torotate the soleholder carrier relative to the pivoted member 3 and whichexceeds the initial stress of the helical compression spring 12, theroller 9 will run up on the corresponding part 16 or 17 of the detentsocket member and will increase the stress of the spring 12. If theforce acts only for a very short time or is not sufficient for arelease, the decrease of the force will cause the soleholder carrier 5to swing back to its initial position. On the other hand, if thesoleholder carrier is acted upon by a force which is sulficient for arelease, the spring I2 will be compressed until the roller 9 canpivotally move out of the detent socket member so that the soleholdercarrier 5 can continue its pivotal movement virtually without anyeffort.

As has already been stated in the introductory part of thespecification, the force required for a release of the known toe-holdingappliances which have a detent-locked soleholder carrier is variable byan adjustment of the initial stress of the spring acting on the detentelement. In contrast thereto, the initial stress of the spring is notchanged in the appliance according to the invention but the contactangle of the detent socket member is increased to increase the forcerequired for a release, or decreased to decrease said force. Thisadjustment results in an earlier or later disengagement of the detentelement from the detent socket member and consequently in a larger orsmaller increase of the stress of the helical compression spring 12before the release. At the same time, this design results in anadvantageous increase of the elastic range which precedes the release inthe ca e of a harder setting.

The two circular ring sectors 16 and I7 which together form the detentsocket member can be adjusted independently of each other so that theforces required for a release to one side and the other may beindependently adjusted.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show a heel-holding appliance which is designed inaccordance with the invention. This apparatus comprises a baseplate 21,which is adapted to be screwed to the ski. The baseplate carries abearing bracket 22, to which a soleholder carrier 24 is pivoted by a pin23. This soleholder carrier consists of a housing and at its freeend isprovided with an angled lug forming a closing pedal 25. A soleholder 26is mounted on the carrier 24 for adjustment in height to different solethicknesses by means of a screw 27, which extends through a slot 28. Asolid of revolution 31 is mounted in the sidewalls 29, of the carrier 24and recessed in its inter mediate part as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 sothat the land 32 forms a detent socket member. A detent elementcooperating with said detent socket member is constituted by a roller33, which is freely rotatably mounted on a pivoted member 34, which ismounted by a pin 35 on another small bearing bracket 36 on the baseplate21. Under the action of a helical compression spring 37, the pivotedmember 34 is normally held in a limiting position in which it extendstoward the heelholder 26. The helical compression spring 37 bears on thebearing bracket 22.

The solid of revolution 31 is provided with a lever 38 between the twosidewalls 29, 30 of the soleholder carrier 24. Under the action of alimb spring 39, this lever is held in engagement with a stop 40. Thestop is screw-connected by a screw 41 to the upper wall of the housing;that wall is fonned with an elongated hole 42. When the screw has beenreleased, the stop can be displaced and the position of the solid ofrevolution 31 and of the detent socket member 32 in the housing can bechanged. The arrangement of the detent socket member is such that itsaxis coincides with the axis of the roller 33 when the appliance is inlocking position. The stop has a lateral guide pin 43 (see FIG. 5),which is slidable in a slot 44 in the sidewall 30 of the housing andserves at the same time as a pointer for indicating the adjusted forcerequired for a release. The pointer cooperates with a scale which isprovided on one longitudinal side of the slot.

The lever 38 serves as a grip for an arbitrary opening of the appliance.To this end, its free end is angled to the rear and is provided with adepression 45 for receiving the tip of a ski pole. A pivotal movement ofthe lever in the clockwise sense in the drawings and opposite to theforce of the limb spring 39 enables a rotation of the detent socket 32to such an extent that the roller 33 can no longer be urged back whenthe soleholder carrier 24 is pivotally moved upwardly.

As a heel-holding appliance is released only in one direction, namely,upwardly, different from a toe-holding appliance, it will be sufficientif the detent socket member is adjustably mounted with respect to itslower end in the drawings. The detent socket member need not bebipartite as in a toeholding appliance. FIG. 3 shows the heel-holdingappliance in the locking position. If the soleholder 26 is acted upon byan approximately upwardly directed tensile force, said force will tendto rotate the carrier 24 about the axis 23. The force applied willsucceed in doing so when it is larger than the force that is due to theinitial stress of the helical compression spring 37. In this case, theroller 33 will run up on the detent socket member 32 and will increasethe stress of the spring. If the force acts only for a very short timeand does not reach the value required for a release, a decrease of theforce will cause a return pivotal movement of the soleholder carrier 24into the position shown in FIG. 3. If the force acting on the soleholderis sufficient for a release, the pivoted member 34 will compress thespring 37 to such an extent that the roller 33 enablesa passing of thedetent socket member 32. When the detent socket is released, thesoleholder carrier 24 can continue its movement as far as to theunlocking position, shown in FIG. 4, virtually without an effort.

The drawing shows the heel-holding appliance as adjusted to the highestforce required for a release. A shifting of the stop 40 to the right inthe drawing will decrease the contact angle of the detent socket, whichangle is significant for the release. As a result, the roller 33 willdisengage the detent socket member 32 before or said detent socketmember will disengage the roller 33 before and the helical compressionspring 37 will be less highly stressed.

Ifthe heel-holding appliance is intended to cooperate with a toe-holdingappliance which requires an engagement by the skiing boot under acontact pressure, the heel-holding device will be supplemented by asuitable device, which is known per se and will not be explained morefully. In this case the baseplate 21 is not screw-connected to the skibut consists of a carriage, which is under the action of a spring andagainst the force of said spring is slidable to the right in thedrawing, toward the rear end of the ski.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of a means for adjusting theforce required for a release and for an arbitrary opening of the heel intwo different positions. Instead of the soleholder carrier 24 of thepreviously described embodiment, a soleholder carrier 46 is provided. Asolid of revolution 48 formed with a detent socket member 47 is mountedin the sidewalls of the soleholder carrier. The sidewalls consist in thepresent case of hollow walls and the solid of revolution is mounted inthe inner part of said walls. The same has two coaxial pins 49, whichextend into the cavities of the sidewalls and enter transverse slots 50at the free ends of the limbs of a U-shaped slide 51. The top of thehousing is drawn in to some extent adjacent to the slide and forms abracket 52. A helical compression spring 53 bears on the bracket 52 andacts from the inside on the crosspiece of the slide and urges a lateralextension 54 of the slide against a stop 55. The spring serves only as arestoring means and for this reason is relatively weak. The stop 55consists of a nut, which is nonrotatably mounted in the housing andadjustable in height in the housing by an adjusting screw 56. The nutmay have a guide pin, which is in register with the stop 40 and moves ina vertical slot formed in the sidewall of the housing. The guide pinserves to indicate the force which is required for a release. The slide51 forms also the handle for an arbitrary opening of the heel-holdingappliance and is formed for this purpose in its crosspiece with adepression 57 for the insertion of the tip of a ski pole.

FIG. 6 shows the appliance as adjusted to the highest release hardness.The adjusting screw 56 can be operated to displace the slide 51downwardly so that the pin 49 acting as a erankpin is driven to rotatethe solid 48, as is apparent from FIG. 7. This will reduce the angle ofcontact of the detent socket 47 on the release side thereof. In otherrespects, the same remarks are applicable as have been made withreference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

By the application of pressure on the slide 51 against the force of thespring 53, the detent socket member can be pivotally moved to such anextent that a lifting of the soleholder carrier 46 can be liftedvirtually without effort because the lock has been released.

I claim:

I. In a toeor heel-holding device for safety ski bindings having a basemember, a holding-down member pivotably mounted on said base member anddetent means disengagably interconnecting said members which isautomatically releasable in response to a predetermined overload, theimprovement comprising said detent means including a detent element anda detent socket therefor, and means adjustably supporting said detentsocket to allow displacement thereof in a plane lying at right angles tothe pivot axis of said holding-down member in a directioncircumferentially of said detent element without changing the positionof said detent element.

2. In a toeor heel-holding device according to claim I, wherein thedetent element is formed by a roller, and the detent socket is pivotedto a member of the device carried on an axis coincidental with the axisof the roller.

3. In a heel-holding device according to claim 2 wherein the detentsocket carries a lever arm which under the force of a retaining springbears on an adjustable stop.

4. In a heel-holding device according to claim 3, characterized in thatthe free end of the lever arm serves as a handle for an arbitraryopening of the device.

tact area being variable at both ends in the same sense.

8. In a toe-holding device according to claim 7. the further improvementof the changes in the contact area at both ends being independent ofeach other.

9. In a heel-holding device according to claim I the further improvementof a grip being provided, which is operable against a restoring forceand serves to disengage the detent element from the detent socket.

1. In a toe- or heel-holding device for safety ski bindings having abase member, a holding-down member pivotably mounted on said base memberand detent means disengagably interconnecting said members which isautomatically releasable in response to a predetermined overload, theimprovement comprising said detent means including a detent element anda detent socket therefor, and means adjustably supporting said detentsocket to allow displacement thereof in a plane lying at right angles tothe pivot axis of said holding-down member in a directioncircumferentially of said detent element without changing the positionof said detent element.
 2. In a toe- or heel-holding device according toclaim 1, wherein the detent element is formed by a roller, and thedetent socket is pivoted to a member of the device carried on an axiscoincidental with the axis of the roller.
 3. In a heel-holding deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein the detent socket carries a lever arm whichunder the force of a retaining spring bears on an adjustable stop.
 4. Ina heel-holding device according to claim 3, characterized in that thefree end of the lever arm serves as a handle for an arbitrary opening ofthe device.
 5. In a heel-holding device according to claim 2characterized in that the detent socket is provided with a crankpin,which enters a recess of a slide, which under the force of a retainingspring bears on an adjustable stop.
 6. In a heel-holding deviceaccording to claim 5 characterized in that slide is designed as a gripfor an arbitrary opening of the device.
 7. In a toe-holding deviceaccording to claim 1 the further improvement of the detent socket beingbipartite and its contact area being variable at both ends in the samesense.
 8. In a toe-holding device according to claim 7, the furtherimprovement of the changes in the contact area at both ends beingindependent of each other.
 9. In a heel-holding device according toclaim 1 the further improvement of a grip being provided, which isoperable against a restoring force and serves to disengage the detentelement from the detent socket.